2027 Salomon QST 106 & Nordica Unleashed 106 CA On Snow Comparison

When we get a nice stretch of snow here in Vermont, it’s time to break out the mid-fats. Two of the more interesting skis we’ve seen in this range lately are the Salomon QST 106, which is a returning construction, and the all-new Nordica Unleashed 106 CA. It’s time to put these skis to the test in a variety of conditions and terrain here on Mount Mansfield, and you don’t have to twist our arms to do so. While we could have used the Ti version of the Unleashed as well, the metal-free CA seemed a better fit with the QST, as they both rely on a more energetic and peppy construction than the damper and more powerful Ti version.

At a Glance:

2027 Salomon QST 106

At a Glance:

2027 Nordica Unleashed 106 CA

Bob's Take:

The Salomon is no big surprise here, as we’ve loved this new QST construction from day one. Built with a poplar wood core, basalt fibers, and cork in the tips and tails, this ski has a great mix of energy and stability. It’s one of the more predictable and versatile skis in the mid-100's range, and offers a cohesive blend of attributes both on and off trail. There is titanal in the binding zone of the ski, so it does have a bit of metal in the underfoot zone, but it doesn’t really affect how the ski performs other than offering a bit more grip and power during harder carving. In the 189, the ski has a 20.5-meter turn radius and a stated weight of 2200 g/ski. This is a hefty-feeling ski, so if you’re viewing this as a lighter, more exploration-based ski, you may want to view other options. For sturdy downhill performance, both in the resort and beyond, this is a prime choice. The smoothness and easy steering of this ski are absolutely amazing.

The Nordica Unleashed 106 CA is the newcomer here, bringing a new shape and style to the Unleashed line. It’s fair to say that this ski is more of a move towards freeride and away from freestyle, as the outgoing Unleashed 108 was certainly more of a traditional twin tip shape and profile, albeit in a wider bodied format. With a lighter weight, a shorter radius, and a more traditional/grounded shape than the QST, it’s certainly fair to say that the on-trail and carving performance will be peppier and more energetic. Off-trail, we don’t have as much experience, but it’s a great shape and profile to make quick work of softer and deeper snow. It’s just not as automatic as the QST—you do have to put some more work in with the Unleashed especially in deeper snow.

Matt's Reaction:

QST 106

I have been a huge fan of the QST 106 for years and have always had one in my personal quiver for close to 10 years at this point. It has just always been my go-to soft snow tree ski as well as my ski that always comes with me when travelling. Today was the quintessential QST 106 day, some fresh snow on top of chop with the intended goal of the day to ski everything from groomers to trees and moguls.

Starting on piste, the QST is an easy ski to stand on due to its heft and smoothness. The weight and dampening focused construction of basalt and cork give you the confidence to stand on them throughout the turn. There is a touch of precision here for a 106, but the word that comes to mind with their on-trail performance is predictability. They aren’t going to really toss you out of the turn unexpectedly or fold on you when driving the tips hard. They don’t have the same bite and snappiness as the Unleashed, but they have consistent predictability. 

Off-piste is where the QST 106 really shines. It’s quicker than the Unleashed because of the exaggerated rocker profile, and the tip and tail taper just slither through whatever is in front of you without you having to think. The ability to change direction is so fast and easy. The steering from the tails is also a big part of their off-trail performance as you can utilize the tails just as much as the tips for turning and wiggling through technical terrain. Floatation is no problem with these things either. I found that you can feather the edge angles with more effective results than the Unleashed. For example, if you are smearing sideways down the backside of a mogul, you can manipulate the edge angle of the ski to control your speed and timing of the turn more effectively than the Unleashed which wants to bite right away. 

Unleashed 106 CA

As you can expect from any Nordica ski, the Unleashed 106 CA is a wicked good carver for being 106 mm underfoot. The precision that ski has in the initiation phase is so quick and just an all-out blast. Grip it and rip it. You can manipulate turn shapes from both edge angles and skier input. Compared to the QST, they feel a bit quicker, more precise, more edge grip, and snappier. They do have a turn radius that is 2 meters shorter, so that is part of the snappier feel for sure, but the carbon stringers are definitely pulling their weight here. Even in the longer length of the Unleashed 106 CA, I can extrapolate that they will want to rip you across the fall line more than the QST 106. 

Off piste, the 106 CA takes a bit more focus and skier input to get them to be playful. The tip initiation can become a little hooky, but it isn’t a negative by any means. Once you use it to your advantage when timing turns, it’s super fun and dynamic. But if you try to ride the tails and steer the ski like you can on the QST 106, you are met with some resistance and are quickly reminded to stay forward in the boots and drive the tips. This is something that I have personally found with just about all Nordica skis, with the Unleashed 120 barely being the exception. There is still some playfulness here though, just need to plan your playfulness a turn or two ahead of time.

If you are shopping between these two skis, you need to take a good hard look into your stylistic preferences and your non-negotiable characteristics. It is not splitting hairs when comparing the two of them. The QST 106 can be skied proactively and reactively in all terrains and conditions. They can turn on a dime and leave you 9 cents change. You don’t even have to think about what you do next as they pretty much do it for you. It’s interesting how the QST just flows down your line with no resistance like water. The Unleashed 106 CA prefers to be skied proactively, at all times. But you do get rewarded with some incredible carving performance through edge grip and energy. The QST 106 flows like water and the Unleashed wants to bulldoze and slice through whatever is in front of it.